I try to do the right thing with money. Save a dollar here and there, clip some coupons. Buy ten gold chains instead of twenty. Four summer homes instead of eight.

— LL Cool J —

I couldn't resist — the thought of buying only four summer homes instead of eight. LL Cool J is living his Great Life. But we are going to focus on the save a dollar and clipping coupons in this article. We'll look at guidelines for coupons and how to organize them efficiently.

Coupons Guidelines

Time vs. Money: The most important consideration in clipping and organizing your coupons is how much money you really save vs. the time you spend on coupons. When looking at the value of your time, look to your actual dollar value in the work you do, as well as what you are giving up in your personal life. You may be saving a few cents on your cereal, but you may be sacrificing time spent playing ball with your children. Balance is the key.

Do You Use the Product?: It's not enough that a coupon is offering you a good deal — it must fit into your lifestyle needs. You don't need the coupon for instant mashed potatoes if you are a cook who likes fresh cooked vegetables. You don't need the big electronic sale if it will cost you $250 and you are on a tight budget. Throw those away, forget about them, and keep your eye open for the coupons that fit your lifestyle.

Does the coupon save you dollars, not cents?: This would be related to the Time vs. Money concept above, but is a quick evaluator. Look for percentage off coupons on products you use regularly. For example, as a member of Barnes and Noble membership program, I not only receive my standard discount, but regularly get emails with 20% discounts. I needed computer programming books while I've been working on this site, which can be expensive and the coupons definitely helped.

Keep a list of items you want and wait for an appropriate coupon: Keep a list of items you want, and buy them when coupons become available to you. This can be home accessories, books, kitchen items, clothing — whatever you want, but don't have an emergency to purchase right away. I made a list of the computer books I needed, and each time I got my email coupon from Barnes and Noble, I bought one. This saved me hundreds of dollars.

Organizing Your Coupons

There are two important ways of getting and organizing your coupons. One is physically receiving them as through the mail or at a store, the second is through your computer via email or at a company's site.

How you are going to organize your coupons depend on two things — the volume of coupons you keep and deadlines for using those coupons. You may use a limited amount of coupons and one file or index box will work fine for you. If you are someone who uses a lot of coupons, you need to set up a filing system in a filing box or cabinet and organize it by category (food, books, clothing, etc.). You should also set up a "Use Now" folder for coupons that would be expiring within a week or two. You should periodically (at least once a month) go through your coupons and look to see which ones are expiring and move them to the "Use Now" folder.

If you are receiving coupons through email, set up a special folder in your inbox to hold your coupons. This folder can also be subdivided into categories just like a regular filing system. Be aware of deadlines of email coupons, as they are often much shorter than mailed ones. As you become aware of online coupons available from various merchants, make a note of the merchant and check on them when you are ready to purchase. I have gotten eyeglass discounts, car maintenance, and grocery coupons this way.

One of the best online resources are online coupon companies, which keep various coupons organized for you. Some of these companies will also notify you by email, which also saves you time. One company you may wish to check out is coupons.com which has a downloadable coupon bar and access to coupons in your area.

— Shelly —